Milking Characteristics of Istrian and Littoral Dinaric Donkey Breeds

Istrian and Littoral Dinaric donkey are autochthonous breeds which habitat primarily in the Mediterranean part of Croatia. During the second half of the 20th century they have lost primary function as working animals, which led to breeds suppression. Nowadays these two breeds are in the status of endangered ones. One of the possibilities for their economic re-affirmation is launching the program for production and processing donkey’s milk. The aim of the study was to determine the possibility of milk production of Istrian and Littoral Dinaric jennies in terms of quantity and chemical composition. Istrian jennies produce 745.4 mL/milking while Littoral Dinaric produce 317.8 mL/milking. Milk form Littoral Dinaric jennies contained a significantly higher proportion of milk fat and proteins. There were no significant differences in the content of lactose, dry matter, number of somatic cells and microorganisms in milk between these two breeds. Considering the potential for milk production and milk quality, we believe that both breeds are suitable for integration in the programs for milk production, thus enabling for both population to be economically sustainable. It is necessary to develop production technology and markets, with special emphasis considering quality of donkey milk and safety of consumers

Bone-Mimicking Injectable Gelatine/Hydroxyapatite Hydrogels

[EN] Bioactive synthetic hydrogels have emerged as promising materials because they can provide molecularly tailored biofunctions and adjustable mechanical properties. To mimic the mineralogical and organic components of the natural bone, hydroxyapatite and a tyramine conjugate of gelatine were combined in this study. The effect of various amounts of in situ synthesized hydroxyapatite in gelatine-tyramine on the morphology and physical properties of injectable hydrogels was investigated. Mineralogical identification confirmed successful precipitation of in situ formed hydrox yapatite. Better distribution of hydroxyapatite crystal agglomerates within modified gelatine was found at 5 % of hydroxyapatite, which could be responsible for increased storage modulus with respect to pure gelatine hydrogel. Prepared composite hydrogels are non-toxic and support the proliferation of Hek293 cells.The authors are grateful for the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the MAT2016-76039-C4-1-R project (including Feder funds) and the Croatian Science Foundation under the project IP-2014-09-3752.Rogina, A.; Sandrk, N.; Teruel Biosca, L.; Antunovic, M.; Ivankovic, M.; Gallego Ferrer, G. (2019). Bone-Mimicking Injectable Gelatine/Hydroxyapatite Hydrogels. Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly Journal. 33(3):325-335. https://doi.org/10.15255/CABEQ.2019.1663S32533533

Structure and Dynamics of Sheep Systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The paper presents the analysis of dynamics and structure of the sheep systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina assuming that they suffered a decrease of animal and farms consistency in the last 6 decades. Since 1991 neither a general nor agricultural censuses were made to provide information about the present state of sheep farming in the country. An analysis of the available statistical records of agricultural trends related to the sheep sector was performed. In addition, a depth questionnaire by consulting national experts was performed in order to obtain relevant information on the spatial distribution, consistency, feeding management, production and environmental impact on the present structure of sheep production systems. A decrease in sheep number was observed over the last six decades, but less than in other species. Six main sheep systems in three biogeographical regions were identified. Differences in animal spatial distribution, production purpose and other characteristics of the systems indicate that the environmental and socio-economic factors throughout the country strongly influence the choice of breeding methods and management. All consulted experts indicated the lack of support for sheep systems in relation to agro environmental management, landscape conservation and biodiversity preservation

The antitumor activity of thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone in vitro and in vivo

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate antitumor activity of thymoquinone (TQ) and thymohydroquinone (THQ) in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods: In the in vitro experiments, L929 mouse ?broblasts and two tumor cell lines (squamous cell carcinoma (SCC VII) and fibrosarcoma (FsaR)) were used. The cells were cultured with 0.1 or 0.01 mg/ml TQ or THQ for 24 h, and cytotoxicity assay was performed with the use of crystal violet staining technique. For in vivo antitumor efficiency evaluation of new compounds two murine tumor models (fibrosarcoma (FsaR) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC VII)) were used. The used dose was equal for both substances. Antitumor effect of 4 intratumoral injections of TQ and THQ at the dose of 5 mg/kg was evaluated by comparison of tumor growth kinetics between treated and control animals. Results: In vitro study showed that TQ and THQ exhibit statistically significant cytotoxic activity (p < 0.01). The cytotoxic activity was dose dependent and more expressed against tumor cells than against L929 fibroblasts. The result of antitumor activities of TQ and THQ in vivo reached TGI = 52% and it was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate that THQ antitumor activity may be improved with further dose increase of the investigated substance.Цель: исследовать противоопухолевую активность тимохинона (TХ) и тимогидрохинона (TГХ) in vitro и in vivo. Материалы и методы: в экспериментах in vitro использовали линию клеток фибробластов мыши L929 и две линии опухолевых клеток мыши (плоскоклеточной карциномы SCC VII и фибросаркомы FsaR). По достижении монослоя, клетки инкубировали с 0,1 или 0,01 мг/мл TХ или TГХ, после чего цитотоксический эффект определяли по включению кристаллического фиолетового. Противоопухолевый эффект 4-кратного внутриопухолевого введения TХ или TГХ в дозе 5 мг/кг in vivo в экспериментальных моделях FsaR и SCC VII определяли по кинетике опухолевого роста. Результаты: исследования in vitro показали, что TХ и TГХ обладают статистически значимой цитотоксической активностью (p < 0,01), причем таковая носит дозозависимый характер и в большей степени проявляется по отношению к линиям опухолевых клеток, чем фибробластов. Противоопухолевый эффект соединений статистически достоверный, ингибирование опухолевого роста достигало 52% (p < 0,05). Выводы: противоопухолевая активность ТГХ может быть повышена путем дальнейшего повышения дозы вещества

Development of methods for predicting large crack growth in elastic-plastic work-hardening materials in fully plastic conditions

The objects of the first, exploratory, stage of the project were listed as: (1) to make a detailed and critical review of the Boundary Element method as already published and with regard to elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, to assess its potential for handling present concepts in two-dimensional and three-dimensional cases. To this was subsequently added the Finite Volume method and certain aspects of the Finite Element method for comparative purposes; (2) to assess the further steps needed to apply the methods so far developed to the general field, covering a practical range of geometries, work hardening materials, and composites: to consider their application under higher temperature conditions; (3) to re-assess the present stage of development of the energy dissipation rate, crack tip opening angle and J-integral models in relation to the possibilities of producing a unified technology with the previous two items; and (4) to report on the feasibility and promise of this combined approach and, if appropriate, make recommendations for the second stage aimed at developing a generalized crack growth technology for its application to real-life problems

DISC1-dependent Regulation of Mitochondrial Dynamics Controls the Morphogenesis of Complex Neuronal Dendrites

The DISC1 protein is implicated in major mental illnesses including schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and autism. Aberrant mitochondrial dynamics are also associated with major mental illness. DISC1 plays a role in mitochondrial transport in neuronal axons, but its effects in dendrites have yet to be studied. Further, the mechanisms of this regulation and its role in neuronal development and brain function are poorly understood. Here we have demonstrated that DISC1 couples to the mitochondrial transport and fusion machinery via interaction with the outer mitochondrial membrane GTPase proteins Miro1 and Miro2, the TRAK1 and TRAK2 mitochondrial trafficking adaptors, and the mitochondrial fusion proteins (mitofusins). Using live cell imaging, we show that disruption of the DISC1-Miro-TRAK complex inhibits mitochondrial transport in neurons. We also show that the fusion protein generated from the originally described DISC1 translocation (DISC1-Boymaw) localizes to the mitochondria, where it similarly disrupts mitochondrial dynamics. We also show by super resolution microscopy that DISC1 is localized to endoplasmic reticulum contact sites and that the DISC1-Boymaw fusion protein decreases the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contact area. Moreover, disruption of mitochondrial dynamics by targeting the DISC1-Miro-TRAK complex or upon expression of the DISC1-Boymaw fusion protein impairs the correct development of neuronal dendrites. Thus, DISC1 acts as an important regulator of mitochondrial dynamics in both axons and dendrites to mediate the transport, fusion, and cross-talk of these organelles, and pathological DISC1 isoforms disrupt this critical function leading to abnormal neuronal development